Programmes
Through programmes that generate reliable soil data, promote sustainable soil management and empower farmers with practical skills, FAO supports countries in improving soil health while addressing global challenges such as climate change, land degradation and food insecurity. From soil mapping and carbon sequestration to farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange, these initiatives demonstrate how coordinated action can strengthen agricultural resilience, enhance productivity and support sustainable development.
FAO's programmes on soil
Soil mapping for resilient agrifood systems (SoilFER)
This is an innovative FAO’s ready-to-deploy framework that supports countries in building robust, interoperable soil information systems, ensuring that soil data directly informs real-world decisions. The programme offers a comprehensive, data-driven response to rising fertilizer costs and increasing soil degradation, strengthening integrated soil–crop management across Africa and Central America.
Designed as a unique end-to-end initiative, SoilFER combines field data collection, laboratory analysis, digital soil mapping, and application development to transform soil science into practical decision-support tools for governments, technicians, and farmers. Connecting the full soil data cycle – from sampling to advisory services and policy use – and leading in digital transformation, the programme enhances productivity, strengthens crisis response capacity and supports long-term food security.
The programme is implemented through two coordinated projects – funded respectively by the US Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Together they support seven countries: Guatemala, Ghana, Honduras, Kenya, Mozambique, Tunisia and Zambia.
Recarbonization of Global Agricultural Soils (RECSOIL)
In response to the pressing need to mitigate climate change and increase resilience, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s Global Soil Partnership (GSP) launched the Recarbonization of Global Agricultural Soils (RECSOIL) initiative as a mechanism to scale up sustainable soil management with a focus on sequestering carbon in soils and restoring soil health.
Soils are the largest terrestrial carbon reservoir, yet cultivated soils have lost up to 70 percent of their original soil organic carbon (SOC) due to unsustainable practices. The initiative has been engineered as a triple-win instrument: aiming to prevent further SOC losses through increasing current soil carbon stocks, enhancing farmers' livelihoods and strengthening food security globally.
It empowers farmers – particularly smallholders – through technical support, training and access to incentives and carbon markets to adopt practices such as cover cropping, agroforestry and crop rotation. Implemented in countries worldwide, RECSOIL employs robust monitoring and verification, aligning soil restoration with climate mitigation and the United Nations (UN)’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Global Soil Doctors Programme (GSDP)
This is a farmer-to-farmer training initiative that empowers champion farmers with knowledge and skills for sustainable soil management, while enabling them to share expertise within their communities. Serving farmers, agricultural extension workers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector, the programme bridges scientific knowledge with practical application.
Researchers enrich practical training with evidence-based insights, governments integrate sustainable practices into local policies and the private sector contributes sponsorship and technical expertise to amplify impact. Adaptability is ensured by translating training materials into local languages and tailoring content to local contexts. By working in partnership with national promoting institutions, the programme enhances ownership at country level while maintaining close ties with the GSP, which gives global visibility and recognition to local achievements.
As the programme grows, community-driven efforts are scaled up. Farmers trained as soil doctors become active agents of change, restoring soil health, improving agricultural resilience and contributing to food security, while combating land degradation.
Anyone can join the GSDP by using the online educational resources and guidelines to train, inspire and connect farmers, joining a worldwide effort to protect and restore our soils.